The Station Agent

The Station Agent. This title has been with us for quite some time now but it was only lately that we got a chance to see it. Turns out, this is one of my bestest favorites. A solid, understated (or what Robin Williams might call subliminal) performance by Peter Dinklage (as Fin) tops this quiet yet powerful film with a brilliant story and equally brilliant cast. The movie shows a slice of life of the vertically-challenged Fin whose love for trains is equaled only by his preference for solitude. Perhaps by some stroke of bad luck, he inherits a property (an abandoned train station I think) which puts him near the hot dog stand of the effervescent Joe (played by Bobby Cannavale). This also puts Fin right in the path of Patricia (Patricia Clarkson) – a mother who is nursing the wounds brought by losing a child and eventually suffering much more – who literally almost ran him over, twice. What’s so interesting about this movie is the way Peter Dinklage portrayed his character: quiet, brooding, mysterious, exuding the presence of Bogey himself or Marlon Brando. This is coming from a guy half their size. It was therefore not surprising that the female characters in the story found him quite attractive, including the young and beautiful Emily (portrayed by Michelle Williams). An understated film, both funny and poignant (the latter adjective, you might have noticed, I usually use if I can’t really find another way to describe a film), the movie gives big lessons about love, friendship and overcoming the fear of acceptance – in suitably small, potent doses.